Newbie to both the forums and LR.. bit overwhelmed.

[Saint.V8]

I have owned 7 Range Rovers starting with an '88 Vogue SE 3.5EFi, then a pair of 4.6 P38's, then a '93 3.9 Classic on LPG, then a 2.5 DSE P38 and now I currently own a 4.4 V8 L322 on LPG and a 4.0 SE P38 on LPG....

The 2.5DSE and the 4.0SE on LPG will cost you very similar in running costs, performance is similar....but be mindful the DSE has a strange pedal response....not much happens in the first 3rd of travel, then it starts moving in the 2nd third...the final third when poked and she will lift her skirt and off she goes, so they do seem sluggish at first, but plenty adequate....the throttle travel is like this to have better off road throttle control....much more smooth and progressive rather than on or off of some other cars.

The 4.0 is similar....

the 4.6 is more refined and power delivery is very nice and doesn't seem like you have to strangle it to get it going!

If cost/economy is not important but reliability is...then go for the Diesel...BUT...all Range Rovers regardless of model is unreliable and costly to repair.

They are not a conveyance, they are a hobby/lifestyle...you may even need a second car as a back up for the days the Range Rover throws a wobbler and refuses to start or has broken down in some other way...yes they can be like that!

I am no mug, I have two Range Rovers (currently due to my 9 week old daughter - the girlfriend has my L322 and I have my 4.0SE P38, which is currently on ramps having the oil leak sorted out which has involved stripping the front of the engine!!!) but I also have a BMW 735 for me as a spare car and a Fiat 500 Sport for her as a spare car....it is necessary.

They are great cars...but being realistic, they are unreliable!

 

[quavey]

Harmon Kardon standard in the HSE and Vogue yes, possibly optional in the SE but not sure.

I suppose all this depends on your budget... Are you looking to spend £1500 or £4500?

 

[Rick-the-Pick]

This is an interesting thread. I'll give you my ten quids worth.

I've had petrol, I've got diesel.

I've no problem owning a petrol model, It'd have to be 2000 or later with the Thor motronic engine. If I was going to fit a gas kit, I'd get the heads & liners sorted beforehand, & that gets expensive so I'd have to buy one already properly converted.
It would have to be the 4.6 with full, & I mean full main dealer service history. If these vehicles are serviced correctly, the fuse box would be change in it's timely manner, door, boot & bonnet seals siliconed & all the fluids regulary changed, to the book or before, & of course everything must work.
The lost of sync between the engine & body ecu would be very rare indeed on a vehicle of this condition. But, luckily there's a tool called a re-syncer from Blackbox that sorts that problem out.
Other than finding a range rover V8 in that condition with a sensible price, I'd go for a 2.5 diesel, 1998 onwards, & get the engine ecu chipped. I wouldn't care about the niggly bits & bobs as they can be done in a timely manner, as long as the fluids have had regular changes. These diesels do tramp on.
If I had to travel through Europe, I'd definately take a diesel.

 

[domino]

About £1500 - the lower end of the scale, so more of a '****ter' as it were.

It's a third car - the Saab is the reliable, daily car

 

[StuckAgainSteve]

About £1500 - the lower end of the scale, so more of a '****ter' as it were.

It's a third car - the Saab is the reliable, daily car

A petrol it is then - you'll struggle to find a decent diesel for £1,500 - unless it's a poverty spec scruffy manual!

 

[quavey]

.


I also have a BMW 735 for me as a spare car and a Fiat 500 Sport for her as a spare car....it is necessary.

They are great cars...but being realistic, they are unreliable!

Awesome I'm going to show this to my other half as she moans at me for having "three cars"... No matter how much I explain to her one is a works van and the M5 is for nice days!

 

[quavey]

About £1500 - the lower end of the scale, so more of a '****ter' as it were.

It's a third car - the Saab is the reliable, daily car

You will struggle to get a good Thor engined V8 for that as well. It is possible, a friend of mine just managed to buy a 2001 Vogue for less than £1700 BUT we shall see how good or bad she is as its D day tomorrow (or C day for Collection maybe?) and he's got 260 miles to do in her as a shake down - recovery on standby!

 

[Rick-the-Pick]

I'd definately be looking at diesels with that money.

 

[Rick-the-Pick]

But either way. You will be doing work to it.

 

[Saint.V8]

Awesome I'm going to show this to my other half as she moans at me for having "three cars"... No matter how much I explain to her one is a works van and the M5 is for nice days!

My other half is superb....when I got the P38 (on a whim) I offered to sell the BMW to help pay for it...

She said:'Why? when it breaks down or needs some work done on it....how are you going to get to work?'

I said: 'Well, I suppose I could either take the L322 or the Fiat...'

She Said: 'No, I can't get Summer [our daughter] and the buggy, car seat etc in the Fiat if you take the L322, it's too small and you, you fat bastard won't fit in the Fiat so that's out'

I said: 'So what do I do then??'

She said: 'Keep the BMW for when the P38 is off the road so you can get to work, if the L322 is off the road I can either use the P38 if I am going out with Summer as I can fit all the gear in the back of that and you can use either the BMW or the Fiat....if both Range Rovers are off the road, which is possible, they are Rangies after all...then I'll take the Fiat unless I have Summer when I'll take the bigger 7 series and you take the Fiat, simples'

I said: 'So I get to keep my bimmer??'

She said: 'Yes, makes sense to me!'

I said: 'Fecking awesome!'

 

[Rick-the-Pick]

Feck. I have an L322, LR3 & a P38, & the bikes to dangerous in the wet on our roads.
I need a back up car.

 

[domino]

Well, I'd also have the M5 however I have been informed the wedding comes first... Whipped.

 

[Rick-the-Pick]

Well, I agree, the wedding should come first...until you can find a gap overtake it.

 

[quavey]

Well, I'd also have the M5 however I have been informed the wedding comes first... Whipped.

Well the M5 predates the girlfriend so after being somewhat scared of it at first she now it drives at every opportunity giggling to her self, its quite a bit different to her fiesta 1.25...

However the M5 isnt long for this world and on my return from Switzerland in September she will be sold so I am on final negotiations to buy a 650i at the moment which is allowed as long "as it goes like this one". There or there abouts...!

 

[Saint.V8]

Feck. I have an L322, LR3 & a P38, & the bikes to dangerous in the wet on our roads.
I need a back up car.

Oh yes...with three Green Ovals on the drive and no backup for inclement weather is tempting fate!!

 

[StuckAgainSteve]

I'd definately be looking at diesels with that money.

But diesels are currently worth more than petrols.

 

[StuckAgainSteve]

Feck. I have an L322, LR3 & a P38, & the bikes to dangerous in the wet on our roads.
I need a back up car.

My bike's great in the wet - if I hit the nitrous in fourth she spins the back wheel up at 150+mph.

 

[wammers]

Right up to the point it melts its gearbox

Maybe a chipped diesel won't keep pace with a 4.6 but it will with a 4.0. Which incidentally has the same torque output as a chipped diesel and uses the same gearbox, so that sort of blows your conception out of the water.

 

[Datatek]

they are both slow with engines as old as gods dog get a l322 v8:bolt:

Yep, bigger, uglier and more expensive to fix.

 

[wammers]

My bike's great in the wet - if I hit the nitrous in fourth she spins the back wheel up at 150+mph.

You will of course be doing this on a closed road knowing the max speed limit in this country is 70 MPH.